Niles panel mulling even-year elections

April 22, 2013|By LOU MUMFORD | South Bend Tribune

NILES -- It appears odd-year elections, except for the special variety, may be on their way out in the city of Niles.

The Niles City Council approved without comment on Monday night a 12-item consent agenda in which one of the measures called for scheduling a hearing to receive public input on shifting city elections, now conducted in odd years, to even years. The hearing will be at 5:55 p.m. May 13, just prior to the regular council meeting at the city fire station.

It's expected a resolution will follow which, if passed, would result in even-year city elections beginning next year. If the change is made, city elections would take place in even years, as do federal, state, county, township and, thanks to a switch last year, school elections in Michigan.

The change would save money as it currently runs Niles about $4,600 to conduct an election. Another argument for switching election years to coincide with most other government entities, said Niles City Administrator Ric Huff earlier Monday, is that city voters seem to have little interest casting ballots when their only decisions involve City Council seats.

The 2011 non-partisan city election was a case in point. A primary election that year to reduce the field of mayoral candidates saw just more than 6 percent of the city's roughly 8,900 registered voters cast ballots. The turnout wasn't much better for the general election, in which just more than 10 percent voted.

The switch, if it is made, won't require a public vote to amend the city charter as such changes are allowed by council resolution. Also, it won't impact this year's city election.

Council members subject to this year's vote are Gretchen Bertschy in the 1st Ward, Bob Durm in the 2nd, Bill Weimer in the 3rd and Tim Skalla in the 4th. Bertschy was appointed to her seat earlier this year to succeed the late Pat Gallagher.